1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a shield connector to be used for joining electric wires.
2. Description of the Related Art
In an automobile as a vehicle, various electronic devices are installed. Therefore, a wire harness is provided in the automobile for supplying signals and electric power to the electronic devices. The wire harness has a plurality of electric wires and connectors joined to the electric wires.
In an electric car, a hybrid car or a fuel-cell powered car, a three-phase alternating-current motor may be used for a drive motor as the electronic device. Such drive motor is supplied with high-voltage electric power. Therefore, a connector for supplying the motor with electric power is required to prevent from leakage noise from terminals to an outside thereof.
The connector mentioned above includes three terminals and a connector housing to receive the three terminals. In the connector for the motor, high-voltage electric power is transmitted so that the terminals are fixed rigidly in the connector housing so as to allow no relative movement between the terminals and the connector housing. Therefore, when the connector is connected to the mating connector, friction force between the terminals of the connector and corresponding terminals of the mating connector may be increased by displacements between the terminals so that the connector may have difficulty to be connected to the mating connector.
To overcome the above drawback, a floating connector shown in J.P. Application Laid-open 2000-277217 is proposed. The floating connector includes a terminal, a connector housing for receiving the terminal, a tubular shell for receiving the connector housing and a spring washer as an elastic member. The connector housing is supported with the spring washer in the tubular shell. The spring washer is elastically deformed so that the connector housing can move freely in the tubular shell.
When the connector described in aforesaid document is engaged with a mating connector, the length of elastic deformation of the spring washer is changed so as to connect the terminal of the connector to the corresponding terminal of the mating connector. Thereby, friction force between terminals is reduced and the connector can be engaged easily with the mating connector. However, the connector described in aforesaid document is provided with a spring washer to allow the connector housing moving freely so that number of parts in the connector may be increased. Therefore, number of man-hour for assembling may be increased and cost of the connector may be increased.
To overcome the above drawback of prior art, one object of this invention is to provide a low-cost shield connector which can be engaged easily with a mating connector.
In order to attain the objects, a shield connector, according to the present invention, connecting to a mating connector, having a terminal joined with an electric wire, an inner housing made of an insulating synthetic resin for receiving said terminal and a connector housing made of a metal for receiving said inner housing, the inner housing electrically insulating said terminal from said connector housing, includes a hole passing through the inner housing, a spacer inserted into said hole and mounted in said inner housing to prevent said terminal from coming off from the inner housing, and a locking portion formed integrally with the inner housing to be elastically deformed freely, so as to be elastically deformed temporarily when the inner housing is inserted into the connector housing and be returned by elastic restoring force after the inner housing is received in the connector housing for locking with the connector housing.
According to the shield connector mentioned above, the terminal is mounted in the inner housing by the spacer. By engaging the locking portion formed integrally with the inner housing with the connector housing, the inner housing is mounted in the connector housing. The locking portion can be elastically deformed freely.
By existing a clearance between the terminal and the inner housing and by changing the length of elastic deformation of the locking portion, the terminal and the inner housing can move against the connector housing so as to connect the terminal with the corresponding terminal of mating connector.
The locking portion is formed integrally with the inner housing made of synthetic resin. Therefore, increasing number of parts can be prevented.
The shield connector according to the present invention includes a plurality of the terminals and a plurality of the inner housings protecting from the connector housing and penetrating into the mating connector when the connector connects with the mating connector, and a length of projection of one of the plurality of inner housings is longer than that of the others.
According to the shield connector mentioned above, the one inner housing projects from the connector housing more than the other inner housings. Thereby, when the connector is engaged with the mating connector, the one inner housing firstly goes into the mating connector so as to connect the terminal inserted in the one inner housing to the corresponding terminal of the mating connector.
Therefore, the one inner housing projecting most from the connector hosing is firstly positioned against the connector housing. When the connector goes more into the mating connector, the other inner housings are inserted into the mating connector and the other inner housings are positioned against the connector housing. Thus, after the one inner housing is positioned against the connector, the other inner housings are positioned against the connector.